This invention relates to finishing apparatus and more particularly to finishing apparatus having fixtures for turning a workpiece to align the work piece with respect to finishing tools during a programmed sequence of operations.
Engine block transfer systems have been used in association with spaced finishing stations. Blocks are moved sequentially with respect to selected ones of the spaced finishing stations. Different finishing operations are performed on cylinder bores in the engine block at each of such stations.
For purposes of definition "finishing" refers to cylinder bore stock removal by either a honing operation in which a honing tool is reciprocated, rotated and expanded with respect to a cylinder bore; or by a single pass abrasion operation in which an abrasive element of fixed diameter is reciprocated and rotated with respect to a cylinder bore.
In order to increase the flexibility of such transfer and finishing operations, it is desirable to be able to perform the same kind of finishing on a family of engine block types including in-line cylinder blocks and various forms of V-block configurations which are transferred by lift and carry type transfer mechanisms to prevent wear of aluminum or other light metal blocks.
Different types of engine blocks require a different fixture setup on the transfer line to properly align the cylinder bores with a given finishing apparatus. For example, an upright frame type finishing apparatus with substantially vertically oriented finishing tools has fixtures that position V blocks so that the cylinder bores in each bank of the V block are disposed in attitudes to permit entry of the finishing tool. Such fixtures are not adaptable to in-line cylinder block types.